Do you really benefit from facebook? How's your business page?
Rebecca Levinson recently wrote a post discussing whether you should organize your facebook friends into lists so that you can post things that you can restrict to one list or another, or whether you should allow everyone to read all of your posts, never knowing whether a reader could be a potential client. This of course, is the proverbial "two-edged sword" because while you may want to have a wide audience, that means that you do have to be selective in what you post. You should present an honest picture of yourself, but not that photo of you enjoying that party just a little too much, or a discussion that gives TMI about when you might be away from home, etc.
I do organize my facebook "friends" on my social profile in lists, but I don't restrict my posts to one list or another. The lists simply help me to know where each friend came from. And I suppose if there were something I did want to restrict, I could do it by referring to those lists. I do share some personal information and some fun items, but I believe that makes my readers feel that they have gotten to know me, and I don't restrict those posts.
I don't, however, make lists for any of my fans on my facebook business page. 
Did you know that you can have a business page in addition to your social profile page? They needn't be linked, and you can gather fans of your business without their having access to your social profile at all unless you permit them to also be friends. I think the mistake many people make is that they don't even have a business page.
On your business page, instead of friends, you gather fans. Some of my facebook fans are Realtors or others in real estate related businesses, but others are people who just found my page and wanted to be fans. All my AR posts automatically post to my business page. (How to do that is the subject for another post).
I also have some game pieces there for some of the searching games, so some people sign up as a fan so they can quickly get to my page for their searches. I have game pieces on my page for people who play Scavenger Hunt, Word Hunt, and Hatchlings, three of the most popular games on facebook. Gamers searching for pieces know they can find some at my "boxes" tab on my business page, which is SusanNealFineProperties.
The main thing is to get eyes to my page and people exposed to my blog who wouldn't normally go to Active Rain or Localism. I haven't yet gotten a sale from facebook, but I have had some people contact me with real estate questions, and taking a few moments here and there with them is merely planting more seeds that I may be able to harvest at some time in the future. And since fans need not be friends of your social page, fans will not be seeing your social profile page unless you also accept them as facebook "friends." This does limit the amount of personal information you may be inadvertently sharing with people you would prefer saw you only in your business capacity, because even if your most embarrassing moment was captured on film and posted on your social profile, your business fans will not see it.
So don't think of facebook as just a way to chat with strangers about day-to-day activities. It can be that or it can be much more. It all depends on how you make use of it - but don't be afraid to enjoy it too! First log in to facebook, then here's how to set up a business page.
Once you get to that page, choose "Local", and from that drop-down menu, choose "real estate" or whatever best describes your business. Enter the name of your business where indicated, check the box to show that you are authorized to make a page on behalf of that business, and click on "create page."
Now you have a page, and you can edit that page to add your photo, game pieces, and other personalization. Click on "edit page" to add your photo and for some of your choices of applications (such as games and other things) to add to your page. By checking out a few other business pages, you can get some ideas of all you can do.
For further help, you can check the facebook help desk.
I hope you enjoy having both a social profile and a business page, so you can get the most benefits from your facebook presence!
And what will your answer be the next time someone asks you: Do you really benefit from facebook? How's your business page?
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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."
For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.
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humor, some help with a specific issue, or to offer my own help or advice to another. It allows me to be a much more pleasant and upbeat person with my family and friends, and that in turn makes me more productive in business and in my personal life.
real estate agents in addition to consumers, as I was learning new things here every day, and I wanted to "pay it forward." So some of my posts were aimed at agents.
Through all of the mixture of posts on my blog I have truly become friends with some of my regular readers and those whose blogs I read all the time, and I have gotten several excellent clients, including repeat clients, from consumers who have begun to feel that they know me from all my posts - personal, business and photos.
"Music to Sooth the Savage Chickens"
parking lots and shuttle to the festival. Shuttles will run every 15-20 minutes from 10:00 am - 5:30 pm on Saturday, making stops at Scandinavian Design (4301 Fair Oaks Blvd at Winding Way), and you can also walk from there if you prefer. Just walk across Sunrise and up a short block to the park. There will be handicap parking at Russ Monroe's Village Chapel (corner of Winding Way and Fair Oaks Blvd). There may be additional shuttle stops at other parking lots, and once those are announced, I will update this post.
decided to lower credit scores for anyone doing a loan modification.
I also thought that extenuating circumstances helped to mitigate the credit score. In other words, if you show a late on your credit but can explain that it was because you lost your job or were hospitalized from an accident or something similar, you didn't lose the points you would ordinarily have lost. 
why not just do a short sale and get out of the loan if you'll be penalized anyway.
mortgages, and a couple of the lenders I work with regularly have become good at this new program, I am offering this to my buyers who qualify (62 years old or more). It is great for older folks who are downsizing, and allows them so much flexibility in their lifestyle!
seeing. Some of my current clients include people who have been in my database from meeting them months ago at open houses or otherwise answering some of their real estate questions. I have kept them on my email list for real estate news, listings similar to what they indicated they wanted, and my enewsletters. Now ready, they have been calling me.
Home prices not seen in Sonoma County in nine years continued to draw buyers back into the housing market in February, according to a new report. Sales jumped 77.6% in February compared to a year ago - rising for the 11th consecutive month - as bargain hunters snapped up foreclosure properties, often priced under $300,000. "People who had been waiting are taking advantage right now. We have a lot of first-time buyers, and investment buyers have been coming out of the woodwork."
Patriot Golf Day, in which people all over the country will be playing golf on Labor Day weekend, September 4-7, in honor of soldiers killed or disabled in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to benefit their spouses and children.
As the plane landed, the pilot spoke. "We have the remains of Corporal Brock Bucklin on board, and his twin brother Corporal Brad Bucklin has accompanied him home from Iraq. As a sign of respect, please remain seated while we honor Corporal Bucklin and his sacrifice," the pilot requested over the intercom.